William h



(No Model.)

W. H. H. LINTNER.

APPARATUS FOR MOISTENING STAMPS, ENVELOPES. &c. No. 332,542. Patented Dec. 15, 1885.

. WITNESSES ZJVVEJVTOR r ZmzYnaw: 1 4M I 4 I '4 /& d I a V J7)C, $120; (0 l I l .dttorneys UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. n. Lmrnnn, OF LrrrLE FALLS, NEW Yonx.

APPARATUS FOR MOISTENING STAMPS, ENVELOPES, 84.0.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 332,542, dated December 15, 1885.

Application filed March 31, 1885. Serial No. 160,784.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAu H. H. LINT- NER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Little Falls, in the county of Herkimer and State of New York, having invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Moistening Stamps, Envelopes, 850., of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to an apparatus for moistening stamps, envelopes, and wrappers, and is designed more especially for use in newspaper and law oflices, and by merchants, manufacturers, and others who have occasion to send out a large. amount of mail-matter principally circularsin the course of their business. A very common expedient employed by those who have charge of this branch of work is to moisten the stamps or envelopes or wrappers with the tongue, and this continuous licking, as it is styled, is not only a very inconvenient and slow process, but is also very disagreeable and has proven injurious to the operator.

To avoid these objectionable features, the object of my invention is to provide a simple and convenient magazine for containing fibrous material having the quality of imbibing, storing, and expending moisture to place in the hands of the parties above referred to, by means of which the mailing of letters, documents, circularsand other matter is facilitated, and may be performed without recourse to the many expedients, one of which has been briefly alluded to.

With these ends in view the said invention consistsin the peculiar novel combination of parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth,and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved apparatus. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same, showing the device employed to moisten the stamp or envelope down within the fibrous receptacle or reservoir. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of the moistening device.

Likeletters are used to indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

Referring to the drawings, A designates a reservoir or receptacle for containing the sponge B. This receptacle is substantially elliptical in cross-section, having an opening,

(No model.)

C, in its top, around which opening is provided a flaring rim or flange, D, extending outward, as shown. pressed and inserted through the opening 0 into the interior of the receptacle or vessel A, when it is allowed to expand and assume its normal shape. \Vater being poured into the receptacle is caught up and received by the sponge and held within the pores of the latter, so as to keep it moist.

It will be observed that the particular shape of the receptacle or vessel has special advantages for the purpose in view, since the wet sponge is received upon the bottom of the same and cannot accidentally fall out or become displaced. Furthermore, by providing a sponge to retain the water the latter will not run out or splash over through any accident caused by the upsetting of the receptacle or vessel. Any suitable form of receptacle, round, square, or the like, having an opening in the top to allow the insertion of the sponge under slight compression and permit it to assume its proper position when introduced will answer the purpose.

E designates the moistening device, comprising a suitable handle, G, at one end of which is secured a tubular ferrule, H, which decreases in diameter toward its front or outer end, as seen in Fig. 3. This ferrule, 01', more properly speaking, tube, extends beyond the front end of the handle, so as to provide a chamber for the reception of a small sponge, I. The latter, when compressed into a small compass, may be inserted into the chamber or space within the ferrule or tube H, the peculiar tapering form of the latter causing the sponge to be held firmly from displacement. A portion of the sponge I should project out The sponge B is comfrom the tube or ferrule H, as at J, to act upon the stamps or envelopes forthe purpose mentioned. The remainder of the sponge 1 within the ferrule serves to retain a sufficient amount of water, which is fed down through the pores, and will keep the extended end J always moist until the supply within the ferrule or tube H has been exhausted.

lhe operation of my invention will be read ily understood from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the annexed drawings. By dipping or inserting the moistening device E through the opening 0 of the receptacle A the extended end of the sponge I for the said device comes in contact with the sponge B in the bottom of the said receptacle. Since the said sponge B is always Wet, or, rather, soaked, by the water within the receptacle, this action will cause the protruding end of the sponge I to be thoroughly moistened, the water traveling up within the ferrule or tube H and keeping the body of said sponge wet, to serve as a reservoir in supplying the end J. By passing this protruding or extended end J of the sponge over the mucilaginous surface of the envelope or stamp the same is moistened sufficiently for scaling in the usual manner.

In practice it has been found that one dip or insertion of the moistening device within the receptacle A will be sufficient to moisten seventy-five envelopes in succession. manner the sealing and mailing of such matter is facilitated, enabling the operator to do the work more rapidly and without the disagreeable features attendant on the use of the present contrivances. The sponge-cups, for instance, which are inuse are very unsatisfactory for the purpose in view, since only one envelope can be moistened at a time.

By my improvementI am enabled to moisten as many envelopes as desired at one and the same time by the action of the moistening device, causing the work to be expedited, and placing in the hands of the proper parties an article which will lighten the labors of mailing circulars and other matter.

My improvement is simple in its construction, can be manufactured of any suitable design at a very low price, is convenient and efficient in use, and will prove of great utility for the purposes intended. Through the use of the same the necessity of licking the stamps or envelopes with the tongue will be entirely avoided, and many of the other objectionable modes or uses now resorted to by those having charge of this Work, through a lack of no other means to lighten their labors, may be also set aside, and the simple device or appa ratus which I have provided take their place.

The opening 0 in reservoir A may be several times larger than the diameter of the moistening device, so as to permit the ready introduction and removal of the same, it being often necessary in using the apparatus to insert the moistening device at any and all minimum.

angles. The diameter of the reservoir at the opening 0 should be considerably less than the body, and thus the sponge is prevented from falling out and evaporation reduced to a The bottom of the cup is concave, and as the flat wet sponge is received in the bottom the sponge is caused to assume the same shape. By reason of the concavity thus given to the sponge, should the moistening de- In this vice be carelessly thrust into the cut or reservoir at any point or angle, it will always come in contact with the sponge in the reservoir. The-ferrule of the moistening device tapers to a small diameter at the front end. The sponge is forced through from the rear or large end till it protrudes sufficiently, as shown, and the or while it is in repose for an instant or longer time upon the sponge in the cup, the sponge of the moistening device becomes instantly charged with moisture. flange D serves as a support for the moistening device when the latter is placed within the reservoir or cup when not in immediate use. The rim or flange will support the moistening device in an inclined position, the sponge resting on the sponge in the reservoir, and thereby charged with moisture, so as to be ready for immediate use, as desired.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s 1 1. The herein-described apparatus for moist ening stamps, comprising a reservoir or receptacle provided with a sponge or porous body, the neck of the reservoir being contracted and provided with an opening, and the moistening device consisting of a handle carrying a sponge, the diameter of the lower portion of the handle being considerably less than the diameter of the opening in the reservoir or receptacle, whereby said moistening device- The flaring rim orthe moistening device comprising a straight handle carrying a sponge, the diameter of the handle being considerably less than the open-. ing in the reservoir or receptacle,'whereby said moistening device may be introduced at an angle, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have'hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. H. LINTNEB.

Witnesses:

JOHN OBoURKE, LEONARD A. MARCH. 

